This invention relates generally to handles for facilitating manual control of doors and gates, and more particularly to a rearwardly observable handle for a rear opening for a vehicle, and having an illuminated surface utilizable as a third or additional tail light.
Conventional vehicles usually have a pair of body mounted spaced apart tail lights which operate as both running lights at night and as brake lights in both daylight and night conditions. Those body mounted tail lights alone have been used for many years, but in recent times heightened safety awareness has necessitated the introduction of a so called third tail light to motor vehicles. Examples of additional lighting on vehicles includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,365,232; 4,745,430; 4,745,525; 4,800,471 and 4,839,629.
The third tail light is usually mounted vertically higher than the body mounted tail lights and is intended to be viewable from a vertically higher vantage point than the body mounted tail lights alone. The vertically high mounting of the third tail light is naturally within the field of view of following vehicles.
In automobiles, the third tail light is typically positioned within the rear passenger portion of the vehicle and against the rear wind shield. The third tail light is then visible even from a vehicle following so closely that the front of the following vehicle obscures the body mounted tail lights.
In the case of a truck or utility vehicle having a tail gate or utility door, the positioning of a third tail light poses a more significant problem. In most cases there is no rearwardly located windshield and nearby support structure to facilitate the inside mounting of a third tail light. The mounting of a third tail light within the tail gate or rear access door of a vehicle requires an additional opening to be cut within the tail gate or door structure. Additional openings compromise the structural integrity of the supporting structure in which the opening is made. Further, an additional opening provides a further interface with the external environment which must be sealed or else risk corrosion.
Further, during operation of vehicles with tail gates or rear utility doors, it is well known that the vehicle is often operated with the utility door or tailgate in the open position, especially during the hauling of materials. A body mounted third tail light will not be significantly visible during the times when the vehicle is operated with the tail gate or utility door in the open position.
A third tail light is needed which will be visible regardless of the position of the tail gate or utility door to which it is attached. Ideally a third tail light should not require additional openings to be cut into its support structure for mounting on a vehicle. A third tail light should be amenable to factory mounting on a new vehicle as well to mounting on older vehicles.